Conversational User Interfaces With Multimodal Inputs and Mind Map Like Interactions

Abstract

A method executed on data processing hardware and including displaying, on a display in communication with the data processing hardware, a user interface for a chat session between a user and a chatbot, the user interface including a plurality of entries input by the user and a plurality of corresponding responses from the chatbot. The method also includes receiving, in the user interface, a user input indication indicating selection of a particular entry of the plurality of entries, the particular entry being other than a last entry of the plurality of entries. The method further includes receiving, in the user interface, a new entry input by the user for an additional entry associated with the particular entry. The method additionally includes based on the additional entry associated with the particular entry, causing the chatbot to update one or more of the plurality of corresponding responses from the chatbot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method executed on data processing hardware that causes the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 displaying, on a display in communication with the data processing hardware, a user interface for a chat session between a user and a chatbot, the user interface comprising a plurality of entries input by the user and a plurality of corresponding responses from the chatbot;   receiving, in the user interface, a user input indication indicating selection of a particular entry of the plurality of entries, the particular entry being other than a last entry of the plurality of entries;   receiving, in the user interface, a new entry input by the user for an additional entry associated with the particular entry; and   based on the additional entry associated with the particular entry, causing the chatbot to update one or more of the plurality of corresponding responses from the chatbot.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the plurality of corresponding responses updated by the chatbot comprises at least one corresponding response other than a last response of the plurality of corresponding responses. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the new entry input by the user for the additional entry associated with the particular entry results in a non-linear chat session. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the new entry input by the user for the additional entry associated with the particular entry results in an unstructured chat session. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the new entry input by the user for the additional entry associated with the particular entry results in a mind map comprising an unstructured collection of interconnected ideas. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the new entry input by the user for the additional entry associated with the particular entry associates the additional entry with the particular entry in a hierarchical association of ideas. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the particular entry of the plurality of entries was input by the user using a first input modality; and   the new entry input by the user for the additional entry is input by the user using a second input modality different than the first input modality.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first input modality comprises one of text or speech; and   the second input modality comprises the other one of text or speech.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise displaying, on the display, a collapsed representation of the particular entry and the new entry. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, in the user interface, from a second user associated with the chat session, another user input indication indicating selection of another particular entry of the plurality of entries, the another particular entry being other than the last entry of the plurality of entries;   receiving, in the user interface, a second new entry input by the second user for another additional entry to be associated with the another particular entry;   associating the second new entry with the another particular entry in the chat session; and   based on the another additional entry associated with the another particular entry, causing the chatbot to update one or more of the plurality of corresponding responses from the chatbot.   
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 data processing hardware; and   memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
 displaying, on a display in communication with the data processing hardware, a user interface for a chat session between a user and a chatbot, the user interface comprising a plurality of entries input by the user and a plurality of corresponding responses from the chatbot; 
 receiving, in the user interface, a user input indication indicating selection of a particular entry of the plurality of entries, the particular entry being other than a last entry of the plurality of entries; 
 receiving, in the user interface, a new entry input by the user for an additional entry associated with the particular entry; and 
 based on the additional entry associated with the particular entry, causing the chatbot to update one or more of the plurality of corresponding responses from the chatbot. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more of the plurality of corresponding responses updated by the chatbot comprises at least one corresponding response other than a last response of the plurality of corresponding responses. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein receiving the new entry input by the user for the additional entry associated with the particular entry results in a non-linear chat session. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein receiving the new entry input by the user for the additional entry associated with the particular entry results in an unstructured chat session. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein receiving the new entry input by the user for the additional entry associated with the particular entry results in a mind map comprising an unstructured collection of interconnected ideas. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein receiving the new entry input by the user for the additional entry associated with the particular entry associates the additional entry with the particular entry in a hierarchical association of ideas. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the particular entry of the plurality of entries was input by the user using a first input modality; and   the new entry input by the user for the additional entry is input by the user using a second input modality different than the first input modality.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the first input modality comprises one of text or speech; and   the second input modality comprises the other one of text or speech.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise displaying, on the display, a collapsed representation of the particular entry and the new entry. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, in the user interface, from a second user associated with the chat session, another user input indication indicating selection of another particular entry of the plurality of entries, the another particular entry being other than the last entry of the plurality of entries;   receiving, in the user interface, a second new entry input by the second user for another additional entry to be associated with the another particular entry;   associating the second new entry with the another particular entry in the chat session; and   based on the another additional entry associated with the another particular entry, causing the chatbot to update one or more of the plurality of corresponding responses from the chatbot.